MLB '98

MLB ‘98 is a Major League Baseball video game for the PlayStation developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and released in August 1997. It precedes MLB '99 and is the sequel to MLB Pennant Race.[1]

MLB '98
Developer(s)Sony Interactive Studios America
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment [lower-alpha 1]
SeriesMLB
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
Genre(s)Sports video game
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

Games are called by public address announcer Mike Carlucci. New York Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams was featured on the cover. Some of its features are the 30 Major League Baseball clubs, six playing modes, complete statistic tracking, and creating players.

It has been succeeded by MLB '99, where Vin Scully began calling the games. Starting with MLB 2000, joining him is infielder Dave Campbell on color commentary.

Reception

MLB '98 received above-average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] Most critics praised the fluid animation,[4][7][9] comprehensive licensing,[4][7][9] extensive features,[4][7][9] and the usually fast pace of the games.[4][7][11] The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly both gave it a 9 out of 10, with Kraig Kujawa describing it as "fast-paced, straightforward and (most importantly) fun."[4] GameSpot's Glenn Rubenstein was much less enthusiastic, commenting that while the game has all the expected features, it fails to truly stand out in any area, leaving him certain that a superior baseball game would come out by Christmas.[9] Next Generation said, "There's no denying that MLB '98 is a good, solid baseball game that surpasses Triple Play '98 in many respects. However, in the grander scheme of console baseball, MLB '98 does nothing to advance the genre and can't even clean the cleats of Sega's World Series Baseball '98 for Saturn."[11] GamePro concluded that it "gets rookies into the action right away and can definitely keep the most seasoned veteran hooked for an entire season. If you like your baseball served up arcade-style, MLB '98 is the only game you need to order."[7]

Just a few months after MLB '98 was released, Electronic Gaming Monthly listed it as number 97 on their "100 Best Games of All Time", saying it "has its minor flaws and bugs, but overall it's the best 32-Bit baseball game."[13]

Notes
  1. Marketed under the PlayStation Athletic Department brand.
  2. In GameFan's viewpoint of the game, one critic gave it 93, and the other 92.
  3. GamePro gave the game two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and control, 4/5 for sound, and a perfect 5/5 for overall fun factor.

References
  1. Air Hendrix (July 1997). "Hot E3 Picks: Major League Baseball '98". GamePro. No. 106. IDG. p. 62. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. Gwinn, Eric (August 7, 1997). "Sony targets EA". Chicago Tribune. p. 72. Retrieved June 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "MLB 99 for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  4. Kujawa, Kraig; Hager, Dean (September 1997). "MLB '98". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 98. Ziff Davis. p. 129. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  5. "MLB '98". Game Informer. No. 53. FuncoLand. September 1997. Archived from the original on September 30, 1999. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  6. Joe Kidd; Jacques Strap (September 1997). "MLB '98" (PDF). GameFan. Vol. 5, no. 9. Metropolis Media. p. 98. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  7. The Rookie (September 1997). "Sony Hits the PlayStation Big League with MLB '98". GamePro. No. 108. IDG. p. 104. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  8. Tony V. (September 1997). "M.L.B. '98 Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on October 23, 1997. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  9. Rubenstein, Glenn (August 13, 1997). "MLB '98 Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  10. PSX staff (July 23, 1997). "MLB '98". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  11. "MLB '98". Next Generation. No. 35. Imagine Media. November 1997. p. 195. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  12. Rybicki, Joe (October 1997). "MLB 98". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 1. Ziff Davis. p. 91. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  13. EGM staff (November 1997). "100 Best Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 100. Ziff Davis. p. 102. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.
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